


Didn't Realize - 081017

by Chan_Do_nt



Category: Fantastic Four, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Genre: Angst, Confusing storyline, Dead May Parker (Spider-Man), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Loves Peter Parker, Hurt, Hurt Peter, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Other, Realization
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2020-11-09 08:47:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20850695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chan_Do_nt/pseuds/Chan_Do_nt
Summary: Peter Parker is missing. Tony Stark calls Johnny Storm for some help.





	1. The End

Tony Stark had called Johnny Storm two days ago. The thing is, Johnny didn’t answer the phone. 

Everybody knew Stark’s group and Reed’s do not mix up. They were never on a first name basis, and never would be, because of their differences. Stark was an arrogant dick and the Four just weren’t, it was as simple as that. But, when Stark called Johnny, Johnny was quick to ignore the call. 

The only reason Johnny even had Stark’s phone number on his phone was for Spider-Man. 

It was just out-of-the-blue when Spider-Man, about a few months ago, decided to give Johnny Stark’s phone number. Johnny had tried to push him away, but Spider-Man had told him it was just for precaution. Johnny didn’t know what kind of safety measures Spider-Man had to take, but he gets it. Spider-Man - as far as Johnny could tell - is on the younger side for being a hero. Hell, he sometimes even sounded like a kid. 

Yet, Johnny, despite Spider-Man's reassurances, does not trust Tony Stark. 

But, getting a random call from Tony Stark did not sit well with him. 

Johnny did the next best thing and called Spidey himself.

“Hey! It’s me Spider-Man--”

“Hey, Spidey--” Johnny began.

“--probably busy right now,” Spider-Man continued.

There was a beep and a mechanical voice telling him to record a message after the beep. 

And now Johnny was worried. Honestly, he should have been worried from the beginning, when Tony freaking Stark called him. Johnny should have been worried when he hadn’t seen Spider-Man for at least a week since that call. But, could anyone blame Johnny, yes, because Johnny blamed himself. Spider-Man had told him Tony Stark’s number was for precautions, assumedly Stark had his phone number for emergencies as well. 

Johnny wasn’t sure whether he should call Stark or wait for him to call him for the hundredth time in the past two days. 

That’s when his phone rang. 

“Hello?”

“Johnny, thank god,” that didn’t sound like Tony Stark’s voice. “We’ve been trying to get a hold of you, Spider-Man said you would be there for him.”

“Who is this?” _Get to the point_, he thought, his fingers tapping restlessly against his knees. 

“Bruce Banner, Tony is finally resting and all of the Avengers have been trying with this damn phone to call you.” There was a sigh. “We believe Spider-Man has gone M.I.A..”

Johnny stopped. “What-what do you mean?”

“Johnny, Spider-Man hasn’t been seen in eight days, and we need help finding him, or anyone with relation to Spider-Man.”

Every instinct in Johnny’s body was telling him it was a bad idea to meet with the Avengers. Spider-Man was nowhere to be found, gone missing around 12:34 a.m. on a Thursday night or Friday morning. Banner told Johnny that the last thing Spider-Man had been doing was patrolling, nothing out of the ordinary, but out so late on a school night did warrant questions. For Johnny, why did it matter if it was a school night, Spider-Man couldn’t still be going to school, could he? And, how the hell did he not realize that his co-vigilante was gone.

Spidey was missing and Johnny _had_ to meet with the Avengers. No other way around it if he wanted his friend back pronto. 

But Sue, of course, was awake the morning Johnny decided to ‘sneak out.’

“What do you think you’re doing?” Sue stood near the kitchen, catching him off guard. He was so close to leaving. “You’re supposed to meet with Reed today. Or did you forget?”

Johnny stood there a second and then smiled brightly at his sister, “I didn’t forget, I was just going to go hang out with my friend this morning. Y’know grab a coffee and chill.” Johnny paused, his smile faltering. “Or do you not want me to hang out with other people anymore, only you guys, right?”

Sue stared at Johnny, hands on her hips, “You better not be breaking anyone’s heart anymore. You hear me?”

The only heart that was breaking was Johnny’s own. 

Johnny hadn’t yet made it to Avengers Tower, yet his heart raced. 

The only reason he was meeting with the Avengers was because Spider-Man, his pal, amigo on the down-low, was missing. 

And that just sucked. 

All the times Johnny imagined meeting the Avengers had been with a punch to each of their fucking faces. But, now he had to meet them properly. His friend was missing for god’s sake and the people he’s sworn to hate for his whole life, need his help. 

What help would Johnny be anyway? He hadn’t even known Spider-Man was gone. He hadn’t realized that his phone wasn’t getting blown with texts or selfies taken mid-flight. Instead, for a whole week Spider-Man was quiet. It wasn’t unusual, but lately it was a rarity for the two to go without texting for a day. Still Johnny didn’t even know Spidey was missing, the Avengers knew before him.

What was Johnny going to say to them. Yeah, he’d seen Spider-Man just the day before, but nothing odd seemed to be going on. Except for Spidey unexpectedly holding his hand and Johnny holding his hand back. But that didn’t matter did it? The only difference with Spider-Man was the hand holding. Spider-Man was just being his usual secretive self. 

Still Johnny walked. He had decided against flying to fly to the Tower. Spider-Man had always told him it was too attention grabbing.

Banner had also told Johnny to meet them in meeting room 12 and all the way upstate. The further away the better they said. 

And that’s where Johnny waited for Tony Stark with the Avengers.

It was awkward to say the least. Even though they were all there for Spider-Man’s whereabouts, none of them were entirely willing to be friendly with Johnny. 

“Okay,” Stark walked in his face a mess of baggy eyes and unkempt facial hair. A holo screen popping up at the center of the table. There pictures of a kid and next to him Spider-Man. A paused video that was obscured. “We’re all here about Spider-Man.” He paused his twisting into something almost dreadful. “Peter Parker was reported missing last Friday and we have no idea where he is, or what happened that night.” 

All the Avengers were seemingly not lost, but Johnny was and the damn thing just started. 

“Peter was supposed to go to school at around eight o’ clock, but he never made it.” Stark sighed a hand running down his face. “Ned, his friend, called Aunt May. You know like a typical teenager after his friend didn’t answer his phone the whole morning. Aunt May was already at work, so she didn’t answer the phone, right. So Ned then called me, I don’t even know how he got my damn number, but the kid called me.”

Johnny wanted to stop the man from talking anymore.

“And now here we are, with a missing Spider-ling.” Tony sat his face now in his hands. 

There was a silence as the Avengers and Johnny tried to figure if he was going to speak again. 

When he didn’t Johnny finally spoke up, “Who is this Peter Parker and why does he relate to Spider-Man?” Either Johnny was just as dumb as everyone said he was or they were all ahead on this case than they had let on. 

Only then did Stark raise his head, his eyes staring at Johnny in disbelief. Rogersjust crossed his arms clearly uncomfortable but unwilling to answer. Romanoff just raised an eyebrow and Banner just stared. 

“What do you mean, ‘who’s Peter Parker?’” Banner asked slowly. Johnny just sat there prodding him to go on. “You know Spider-Man?”

“Yeah, I know Spidey, but what does Parker have to do with him?” Johnny looked at the faces around him. They all know something he doesn’t and he came here for answers about Spider-Man, but so far everything seemed so close-mouthed. He was asking more than they were answering. He just wanted his friend back. 

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Stark sat up and pointing a finger at Johnny. “You don’t know who Spider-Man is?”

Johnny started. Was Iron-Man saying that kid was--

“Peter Parker is Spider-Man.” Rogers finally spoke up. “And you never knew who he was without the mask.”

Not a question, but Johnny felt he had to answer, to say something. Anything. Because how could a sixteen year-old be a vigilante? A sixteen year old couldn’t be on the Avengers team. Spider-Man was not a kid. Johnny has been hanging out with a kid and that kid was now missing.

“You didn’t know.” Banner says quietly almost as though a secret were being told.

Johnny had sat there the rest of the meeting. If you could call it a meeting. All the Avengers did was search through security feeds, anything. They were even using Spider-Man’s suit footage from the night, but still the feed would end abruptly at 12:34 a.m. The only thing they had was his suit. Which was found in an alleyway some random person found it and reported it to the police. The guy was questioned, but he said he had no clue how it got there, he just found it. 

The Avengers, and Johnny, were just grateful the suit wasn’t stolen. It helped to know Peter was there. They had something to go off of, just not enough. 

“Johnny,” Stark walked up to him from where he sat at the table. “We need to talk about Peter.”

“Okay.” Johnny stayed sitting. 

“In private.” Stark hissed his mouth a line refraining himself from yelling. 

They walked out of the room .

“Okay?” Johnny crossed his arms. “I don’t even know much about Parker, hell I didn’t even know his name until today, so what do you think you’ll learn about Parker from me?”

Stark’s shoulders sunk and his face twisted. “Peter, he talked about you. He talks about you a lot.” There was a small smile. “He told me you were an awesome guy, fuck, for some reason he admired you.”

Johnny had no idea where this was going. His heart hurts for Tony and Peter. 

“He told me last week, on his birthday, that he was finally going to tell you his real name.” Stark looked at him, eyes misty. “Shit, that was the day I saw him, but he was so excited to tell you, he told me it was enough of a present if I just let him tell you his secret identity.”

Stark sighed. 

“To be honest I thought you were the one who took him away. Peter telling you his identity was supposed to happen that night and now I know you never knew his name. You only know him as Spider-Man.” 

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I just think Peter would have liked you to have known. If we ever find him, and we will, he’ll be glad that you don’t care about how old he is. Everyone’s given him a hard time. His life, as far as I know, has never been easy, especially because of his age. He only has one friend at his school, but when he started hanging out with you did Peter finally become Peter.”

-

_The first time Johnny met Peter was when the Vulture was robbing a bank. _

_Johnny was there depositing his hefty check, he had to save some money if he wanted to live his life freely, when there was a crash behind him._

_One of the double doors were broken into. Dramatic entrance, if Johnny does say so. The Vulture stood there some odd gun in hands. _

_“Where’s Spider--” The guy didn’t even get to finish his sentence when Spider-Man--holy shit, that is the real Spider-Man--knocked him down to the ground. _

_Johnny was definitely impressed to say the least. It only took one hit and the Vulture was out like a light._

_Spider-Man wave around at everyone. “It’s all good guys, Spider-Man’s here.” His voice was muffled from the mask. “This guy is no threat,” he webbed the Vulture up, “Done, now could someone please call the police, I don’t want this guy out without some cuffs on him, y’know?” _

_Everyone stared at Spider-Man. They were in shock The terror of an intruder was finally dissipating, and the crowd was in awe. _

_“Yeah! Spider-Man!” Someone cheered from the back. Everyone finally being pulled out of their reverie and started to clap and cheer for the masked vigilante. _

_Except Spider-Man didn’t seem to like the idea as his hand came up to rub the back of his neck. Only moments later did he raise his hands in a let’s calm down gesture to the crowd. Spider-Man laughed a little. “Thanks, uhh, could someone seriously call the cops, ‘cuz I need to get going.” _

_“I already called them.” Johnny spoke up, at last because he was also in awe. Spider-Man versus the Vulture was not even a spectacle, it was a joke on the guy who was knocked out with one hit. _

_Spider-Man looked over at Johnny his eyes widening, kind of creepy, but okay. “Thanks, Mr. Human-Torch. Holy shit, it’s the fucking Human-Torch.” Spider-Man was gushing his hands moving wildly as he stared at Johnny. “Uhm, I mean,” he cleared his throat, his voice was suddenly deeper, “Hi, Mr. Human Torch, I’m Spider-Man.” He walked up to Johnny, his hand held out._

_Johnny was thoroughly embarrassed now. Never has another ‘hero’ come up to him with awe as all the civilians usually do. _

_Johnny laughed, playing up his arrogant persona. “Just call me Johnny, hero to hero.”_

_Johnny didn’t think the eyes on Spider-Man’s suit could grow wider, but they did._

_“Awe, no way.” He clapped his hands, but then stopped.He turned around and ran. “Oh god, I’m going to be late. See you later, Johnny.”_

_It was weird, different. But, Johnny felt a softness towards the vigilante. The Vulture incident hit the news as did Johnny’s and Spidey’s first encounter. People talked on whether Spider-Man would be leaving the Avengers so soon. It was all crazy talk, but people praised Spider-Man for his quick work on shutting down Adrian Toomes. _

_Johnny hadn’t known at the time that Peter Parker was behind the mask. He didn’t know the vigilante was only fourteen and still going to school. He didn’t know school was the reason Spider-Man was in such a hurry._

_It was a week later did Johnny see Spider-Man again. It wasn’t intentional, but Johnny had been wanting to see the guy after the attempted robbery. Lucky him. _

_He found Spider-Man on the roof of a building near the Baxter building. It was weird to find the vigilante anywhere but at Queens, but he was there and back with his old suit. _

_“Who’s there?’ Spider-Man’s voice sounded stuffy. “If it’s you, Mr. Stark, I told you I wanted to be alone.”_

_Johnny stopped a couple to the right of Spider-Man. “It’s me, Johnny.”_

_Spider-Man turned to look at Johnny, his mask was just above his nose. His hand was holding a piece of pizza half raised to his mouth. He jumped up, almost dropping the slice, but catching it and taking a quick bite._

_“Oh my god, it’s the Human Torch--”_

_Johnny stopped him before he could go on his rant again. “Yeah-yeah, we’ve been through this Spidey, call me Johnny.”_

_“Oh yeah, hey Johnny, wh-what are you doing up here?” His words were jumbled as he took another bite of pizza. Clearly not in enough shock to stop him from eating. _

_“I live here.”_

_“Here?!” Spider-Man moved about ready to jump off the building._

_“No! Wait, don’t go.” Johnny raised his hands. “I live right over there.” He pointed to the Baxter Building. “Shouldn’t you know that Spidey?”_

_Spider-Man crouched down and grabbed another slice of pizza. “Well-” he took a bite, “Y’know, I never realized you guys actually lived there.” He kept chewing and eating. “Man, am I hungry. Wait! Do you maybe want a slice?”_

_Johnny was staring at the guy, still in awe from just a week ago the guy had knocked the Vulture with one hit. And here he was eating pizza like a madman, it was honestly humbling Johnny a bit. Okay, the fact that Spider-Man was eating pizza while being the most honest of vigilantes, was impacting Johnny a lot. Who knew some badass wasted his uneventful evenings eating pizza on random rooftops? Not Johnny, apparently._

_“Well, do you want a slice or not?” Spider-Man tilted his head. “It’s okay if you say no, some people don’t like eating on rooftops, I get that.” The vigilante started to fidget. He grabbed another slice and danced from foot to foot. _

_“No thanks, I just ate.” Johnny finally answered him. “What are you doing here isn’t your main scene Queens?”_

_Spider-Man turned his head, nodding his head. “Y’know lately there’s been less baddies in Queens, so I came here, but then I realized I have no idea how to get back to Queens.” He laughed a bit. “This is why Mr. Stark says I should stick to the little guy.” It was whispered, but Johnny still hear him._

_“I can show you back?” _

_“No! You don’t have to, it’s just that I didn’t even realize how far I got.” Spider-Man shook his arms out. “I’ll get going then.” He took the final slice of pizza and threw the cardboard down the building. “I guess I’ll see you… someday.” He backed away from the edge and ran off jumping and catching himself with his webs?_

_Johnny only walked forward to look for the wayward cardboard except it had landed in the trash bin, five stories below. _

_Spider-Man had seemed like such a cool guy. _

_Spider-Man was on the news a month later. Adrien Toomes had escaped prison a week before and was evidently after Spider-Man. At the same time a fish bowl superhero had appeared in Mexico to save people from some elemental creatures. Except that wasn’t related to Spider-Man, not yet._

_It was on the new one Saturday morning when Johnny saw Spider-Man’s handiwork all pictured and videoed. Well, Spidey wasn’t in the videos but there was one where Spider-Man was shown slinging towards Coney Island._

_The Vulture was webbed against debris from the plane. The plane that carried Tony Stark’s important inventory from Stark Tower. _

_Turns out the Vulture was trying to steal all of Stark’s work by hijacking the plane. There were many vital things in that plane which were successfully saved from being placed in the wrong hands. Spider-Man was the one who did it all with no backup._

_Johnny couldn’t believe his eyes. _

_“Johnny if you ever see something that deals with Avenger, please don’t intervene.” Sue said from her place in front of the couch. “They’re just always causing trouble.”_

_Johnny wasn’t sure about that. “Yeah, I know.” Doesn’t mean he’s got to make his sister think he was leaning onto the Avengers side just because of Spidey._

_“Seriously Johnny, that Tony Stark has damaged New York far too many times. I just don’t want you getting hurt.”_

_Johnny honestly didn’t get it. He was a superhero, wasn’t he? What was the point of his powers if he didn’t use them for the good of the people like Spider-Man did? There was no point in always waiting for some government official to contact them on something, anything grave that was going on. Most of the times it was for the Fantastic Four to save face. They showed up, they get the same amount of credit as the Avengers who have been there minutes before them. _

_The TV droned on about the dangers of vigilantes and villains. _

_Spider-Man was a newer hero and he already had his own enemies. Johnny was honestly impressed. So far, because of their restrictions, the Four haven’t had any major villains that have gone after them specifically. And Johnny is so thankful for their lack of bad guys. _

_“Tony Stark explains to us that no, he didn’t know his plane was in fact being infiltrated at the time. He did say that Spider-Man was doing the job that any other hero would have done.” The woman had her hand to her ear. “Spider-Man's whereabouts are unknown,Tony Stark was silent on the matter, later on…”_

_And, shit Spider-Man was missing. Or was he? Tony Stark, as far as Johnny knew, was always directing a conversation to another topic. Ask him about his love life and he’ll tell you about his recent projects that he’s been working on. So, this could be the same with Spider-Man, because how could an Avenger be missing? _

_If Johnny only knew, but that was the point wasn’t it? He hadn’t known Peter Parker was a sixteen year old underneath the mask. _

-

It’s been two weeks and there’s still no sign of Spider-Man.

Johnny visits the Avengers everyday to help, but there was nothing. 

It was a lost cause.

Until a video was sent to Tony Stark.


	2. Who?

Stark was panicking which was freaking Johnny out because what were they going to do if the main motivator for finding Spider-Man was panicking. Nothing because the rest of the Avengers also sat in silence. 

Johnny though he was ready to save the sixteen-year-old vigilante, he still is, but now he felt inferior. What they were actually facing was worse than anyone could have imagined. The way no one spoke, how Stark breaths for air were only just finally regulating, and how Johnny needed to move. There was no way for him to get out of this mess. No way, so far, for anyone to help Peter Parker to get out of the hell he’s in. 

And Johnny’s never felt so worthless. 

So worthless that he’s starting to see why people lose hope in these situations. But, he won’t. He just can’t.

He’s a hero for god’s sake, yet some kid with spider powers was missing and no one knew how to move and save him. To bring him back safely.

It’s been a month.

Parker had just turned sixteen a month ago and that same night he was taken. The same day Spidey held his hand and laughed at Johnny like he always did. 

Johnny might never hear that laugh again. Will only hear the way he yelled, screamed at the people in the video. He’ll only see how his body slumped down onto the table they threw him on. He won’t know if he’s safe or not. If he’s ever going to get back up.

_‘It comes with the territory.’ Spidey laughed. ‘I’m okay, don’t worry, flamebrain.’_

Rogers was the first one up. His face was pale in the fluorescent light. His eyes were wide, they asked for a different truth, but Johnny knows that he knows this is just a part of the truth they’re living. 

“I’m heading out.” And then Rogers was gone. Then Banner and Barton were leaving Johnny with a disheveled Tony Stark. Shit, Johnny did not want to talk to the man. To console a man like him was unimaginable. How could Johnny keep the man calm when he didn’t know how to calm his own head that felt so heavy these days. 

“You can leave, Johnny.” Stark waved a hand away at him. His head bent his head down onto his other hand. “Friday is tracing the source. And when we find it I’ll let you know.”

Johnny stood. His legs almost stiff. His hands were shaking but it wasn’t out of anger. 

“Stark.” Johnny cleared his throat, his eyes burning. Stark didn’t acknowledge him just kept his head down and away from Johnny. “I’m sorry.”

Only then did Stark look up. His eyes were red, but that was the constant lately, and mouth set in a line. 

“I’m so sorry. I-I saw Spidey that afternoon and he was acting weird y’know? He was holding my hand. He was laughing way too much and y’know he laughs a lot, but he was laughing _too _much. He-Parker seemed almost distant y’know. He wouldn’t look right at me but I thought it had to do with him holding my hand. But, maybe that’s why he was holding my hand, Stark, he held my hand for so long, and then he was gone and I didn’t know until a week later.”

“I’m sorry.” Johnny couldn’t help himself. 

Stark sighed, his chair screeching as he stood and made his way over to Johnny.

“Johnny, it’s not your fault.” Stark laid a hand on his shoulder. “Peter was being Peter. And he didn’t tell you because he’s just that selfishly-selfless.” 

They were quiet.

But then Johnny laughed, his throat constricting. “I’m so fucked up, aren’t I?”

Stark’s hand tensed but relaxed as he asked, “Why do you say that?”

Johnny inhaled, knowing this was going to seem so wrong, so fucking-fucked up that he needed more air to even confess it. To know the words are true when he says them.

“I think I like Spider-Man.”

Tony Stark was, reasonably, pissed. But Johnny thought it went better than he had originally thought it would. 

It was weird for Johnny to be able to talk to Tony Stark, an Avenger, so easily after hours of emotional constipation. Johnny had mostly heard it all from Spider-Man himself. Spider-Man talked a ton about Tony-freaking-Stark. He went on about Stark like if he were doing a speech over a biography in front of a class.Spider-Man had said when he went to school, that damn liar still does, that he wrote a research paper on the morals of famous people and how they change. Johnny knew then and there that Spidey was a nerd. 

Johnny heard Tony talk about Peter Parker. He gave a basic run-down almost distant-like until Johnny mentioned Spider-Man being a dimwit. That’s when Stark finally laughed, lightly, and finally engaging and talking about Parker on a more personal level. 

Johnny had realized when Stark mentioned Peter’s uncontained excitement during the Team Captain America versus Team Iron Man fight, that they were distracting themselves.

It was a distraction from the things their minds were on. Except the distraction just led back to Peter. And it sucked that he was gone. Johnny had thought he would be found in a few days, but it’s been a month and Peter was still gone. Who chose Peter to be taken? Peter didn’t deserve it and neither did Tony Stark, Johnny was only starting to realize.

One thing Tony Stark did finally mention was that Peter was taken for just being Spider-Man and Peter Parker. Apparently threats had been made at Peter and Tony for weeks prior Peter’s abduction. The source of the calls, texts, e-mails, and mail were always used with a burner phone, an email known for sending spam, and mail that had no return address. Tony tells Johnny that he had upped Peter’s security and protocols in any case there was a hack or any form of destruction or injury. It hadn’t worked.

“Steve is thinking someone from inside Avengers Tower had done it.” Tony shifts, uncomfortable with the thought. “But no one has the same access level as Steve, Peter, Pepper, and I do. It was none of them, that’s for sure. And the next highest would be Happy and then the rest of the Avengers. You obviously don’t have any access, it’s why I’m only now telling you this.”

Johnny nodded. “Did you ever think that a Skrull could be doing this?” There’s been no news about the Skrulls sense Johnny first started hero-ing, but that doesn’t mean there not still out there. 

Tony looked at Johnny. “If it were a Skrull that means one or multiple - who knows? And then what about the Avengers, Pepper, or even Happy? They can’t be... 

“It’s just a thought.” Johnny quickly said. It was making him feel like shit.. A trusted ally, friend, fiancée actually being a skrull should not be another concern for Tony Stark. 

“Yeah, yeah.”

It’s still a possibility.

-

_Apparently Spider-Man wasn’t missing._

_Johnny had found the guy sitting on the roof of another building near Manhattan, yet again. He was back in his new suit, the mask partially up as he ate a corn dog._

_“Hey Spidey.” Johnny greeted as he landed near him. “What are you doing back here man?”_

_Spider-Man started, but smiled at him, some pieces of food falling from his mouth. “You scared me, thought you were someone else.”_

_Johnny sat by him, not too close but still not unacceptably far away. “I heard you took down the Vulture, again. You’d think they’d stop trying after the first try, huh?”_

_Spider-Man laughed. “The first time it was some guy that was with the Vulture. The Vulture was so pissed a few days ago he decided to try and take Stark’s goodies. What kind of logic is that?”_

_“All villains are illogical, it’s just how it is.” Johnny stared at Spider-Man closely. “You got hurt?”_

_“No.”_

_“Dude, I can see half of a face, and that half is showing how you got pretty damn well did get hurt.”_

_That only made Spider-man shove his mask down, covering the rest of his face. “Just a scratch.”_

_“Didn’t look like a scratch.”_

_“Well at least I don’t sit still and look pretty all the time.” _

_“What?” Johnny breathed. “Spidey, look I know you’re new to the scene of hero-ing, but you need to calm down.”_

_“What? No one ever not compliment you, flamebrain?” Spider-Man scoffs. “Always the one to get the glory for doing nothing, huh?”_

_“What the fuck dude? What’s gotten into you?” Johnny stood, his temper rising, heat emanating from him._

_Spider-Man stood. His short stature glaringly obvious as he pointed at Johnny. “You’re a bastard who’s a hero only in name. Every one of you fantastics do nothing as the city burns. You have no right to tell me what to do!”_

_And then Spider-Man was gone jumping off the building to only swing away towards Queens._

_That was the first and last fight Johnny had with the guy. _

_Johnny had gone home that night to talk to Sue._

_“Hey, I need some advice.” His voice was sweet. “I tried getting some advice from Ben and Reed but they didn’t take me seriously.” Not true, but she doesn’t need to know that. _

_Sue looks at him skeptically, closing her book as she did. “What kind of advice is it this time and it better not be about how to cancel an order of thirty Ironman posters because you know how mad Ben was last time.”_

_“No I need real advice, plus I was going to burn all of the posters for fun, it’s not like if I like the guy, Sue.” _

_“Is this girl advice?”_

_“No.” Johnny huffs. “There’s this guy…”_

_“Wait, are you saying--no way! I thought you’ve been acting distant lately.” She stood from where she sat and went to sit by Johnny on the couch. “It’s okay to be honest with yourself Johnny, I still love you.”_

_Johnny sat still, face flushing red. “No! I’m not gay, it’s just that this guy--he’s not even my friend--but he talked to me the other day and I said something and he got mad. But I don’t even know what I did wrong.”_

_Sue went back to being skeptical. “Johnny every time you have someone run from you is because you always say something wrong.”_

_“No! Trust me I said nothing mean to this guy he just started calling me a fake hero and everything, for no reason!”_

_“Why would he say that?” Now Sue sounded defensive, God, women were so confusing sometimes. _

_“I don’t know?”_

_“Why do you say that as if it’s a question?”_

_Johnny sighs. “Okay, I might’ve indirectly said he was a weak ass and shit, but--”_

_“Johnny! You can’t be saying that, do you know how many times your past relationships have ended just because of the way you say things? Don’t you ever remember other people have feelings?” Okay, and now Sue was definitely mad._

_Johnny didn’t get any real advice from Sue, but more like she went on a tangent on how every relationship and yadda yadda. _

_Sue was right. She always fucking was. _

_Johnny had always wanted someone near his age to talk to. Someone who understood how it was to be a young superhero. Except, lately, he hadn’t been feeling so hero-y. He’s done nothing in the past months that warrant the way people praise him. He’d done nothing. He’s watched after Franklin, a pretty big task all-in-all. But outside of that, he’s only been out wasting time like a nineteen year old would do if given the chance to waste time. _

_He’s supposed to be an adult, not a lame excuse of an adult . _

_His sister is a genius. Her husband’s a genius. Everyone around him went around and did amazing things. He just sat back and-and did nothing. He just sat back. _

_He did nothing._

_It never bothered him before. It did, but not this badly. _

_Not when he heard about Spider-man’s latest incident._

_Supposedly, Spider-Man had been seen, just months ago, with the rest the Avengers in their fight. Someone leaked the information and now the whole world wants to know how long Tony Stark and Spider-Man have known each other. Some videos came out, showing Spider-Man fighting on Stark’s side. The videos showed how Captain America dropped some heavy equipment onto the guy. The public went crazy. The Avengers had a fight and they were only just hearing about it. It was worth going crazy about._

_But then Spider-Man was followed frequently and persistently. Paparazzi, random fans, and even some random crime doers followed the guy actively. His days seemed filled with people ignoring common sense. And then, one day, Spider-Man just snapped._

_He yelled at some guy with a camera to stop following him. _

_The video showed how his whole body shook. How his hands shook as he yelled. How he sounded on the verge of tears._

_It was a sad sight to see New York’s own crime fighter be brought down by the people he protected. _

_And then Spider-Man fell and no one was there to catch him. _

_Until Tony Stark was reportedly at the scene carrying Spider-Man away._

_It scared people back. Despite it being the public’s fault, the public was enraged at how Spider-Man was being treated. A huge hypocrisy. It was obvious how little Spider-Man actually meant to the people. It was sad knowing the vigilante had been going on for as long as a year and he was still being underappreciated. _

_Johnny didn’t really know what to make of it. The entire thing was just terrible and makes Johnny - selfishly - be glad that he’s a public figure and that’s about how far his hero life goes throughout the year. He wasn’t like Spiderman and legitimately helped everyone out for the sake of helping. Johnny and the rest of the fantastics were there to reinforce wellness and the good in people like what Captain America did for the schools awhile back._

_Still, Johnny didn’t know what to think about Spiderman and the people’s change of heart. Johnny felt guilt, for one. He sat at home and watched some Netflix while some vigilante - an actual hero - was out there doing good for a community that didn’t appreciate the good. Heck, Spiderman even went to Manhattan sometimes and Johnny never thought much of it. Just another part of a heroes job._

_Johnny walked along the sidewalks of Manhattan. He wanted to do something that day, a miracle, he knows, but when he went out he didn’t even know what to do. He’d already done his morning exercise and now he was just walking for the sake of walking. _

_Johnny hadn’t expected to see Spider-Man walking around. _

_“H-hey, Johnny!” _

_Johnny had turned to see Spider-man limping towards him._

_“Johnny the Flamebrain?” Spiderman stopped_

_Johnny just stared at Spider-Man. _

_“Hello?” Spider-Man waved a hand in front of his face. _

_Johnny stopped staring and blurted out. “S-spider-Man?” _

_“No, it’s the Vulture.” It was said plainly. “What’s up with you? Has all the heat finally gotten to your small head?”_

_Johnny couldn’t say anything._

_“What? Is there something on my face?”_

_Johnny didn’t say anything._

_“Is something wrong? What cat got your tongue?” Spider-Man puffed his chest. “Do you need me to fight someone for you? Show me where they’re at and I’ll get them”_

_“...”_

_“Johnny,” Spider-man laughs a little, “You’re scaring me.”_

_Johnny grits his teeth._

_“You can’t just say that.”_

_“What?” Spider-Man took a step back. _

_ “Anything. You can’t just say anything like if you’re fine, all of New York saw how you fell. Should you even be out here?” Johnny was noticing more of what was wrong Spider-Man. How his hands had no gloves and he had none of those things that he uses for his webs. His suit was torn in several places. He stood with a hunched back. _

_Spider-Man just stepped back. “You saw that?”_

_“Yeah! That was just a few days ago, everyone thinks your dead!” _

_Spider-Man’s laugh was short, unsure. “You thought I died?”_

_“You fell.” Johnny was feeling worse for Spider-Man. First Sue and now this. Was he ever going to catch a break?_

_“Yeah, I know, but it didn’t feel like that you know?”_

_Johnny did not in fact know how falling did not feel like falling, so he gathered that Spider-Man does indeed have a concussion as one of his many injuries. No, he was sure he did by the way he swayed and settled a hand on the nearby wall._

_“Spider-Man?”_

_Spider-Man only stood as still as he could. “Huh?”_

_“You okay, Spidey?”_

_That’s when Spider-Man decided to fall face forward onto the ground. _

-

They’d tried calling May for the past month, denying themselves to settle into the truth. That first week of calls was when they quickly realized the truth. They had contacted May’s job, Delmar’s, and even the school, but everyone said the same thing. Johnny and Tony just didn’t want to believe it. 

May Parker is dead.

May Parker’s been dead for the past couple months.

Peter’s been alone for those months and it was no wonder no one knew he was gone except for Ned. Ned said Peter still went to school, normally - well, mostly. Ned said Peter would be taken to the office frequently and he’d gone a few days, but he always came back. Except when Peter did not come back the day after no one talking to him, Ned knew something was wrong. When the vice principal asked for Peter Parker, but no Peter in sight. That’s when Ned knew something was wrong. Peter wasn’t at school and he’d just realized, reasonably he called May… then Tony Stark. 

And only now did a boy show up at the Tower. 

Some kid with dark brown eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's boring, hopefully it gets better lmao. (AKA who's writing this?!)  
Thanks for the comments and kudos, it makes me so happy, XD.  
Idk how you guys read this, but thanks. (^o^).
> 
> btw... the next chapter will be more explicit about what happened in the video.


	3. That's not right

FRIDAY had just told Tony that there was a kid knocking frantically on the back doors. FRIDAY then said it was something urgent, and that it had to do with Peter Parker. That’s what got Tony and Johnny standing and heading towards the ground level. 

Johnny was worried. A couple random people have been popping up, saying stuff about how they know what happened with Peter, but instead they always turn out to be the paparazzi. Tony, of course, was quick to tell Pepper of the people and Pepper was quick to hide Peter’s identity and anything with how Peter was related with Tony, or even Johnny. This had only happened twice, but still it worried them of how the news on Peter had spread outside of the Tower. 

The only difference with this new person saying they know something about Peter Parker, is that FRIDAY said it was a kid. 

Tony and Johnny were already ready for this to be another guy looking to make money off of Tony.

Except it wasn’t. One look at the kid and Johnny knew that this kid does know something about Peter.

But, the kid way too young. He was short, and had a wide-eyed stare. His clothes were a mess and nothing of how this kid looks like and what the previous knockers are the same. 

“...And you are?” Tony’s voice sound unsure, almost as though he were too scared to be hopeful about this kid actually knowing about Peter, anything.

Johnny could only watch. 

“I’m Peter’s friend…” His eyes scrunched up for a second, “But, you can call me Miles.” 

The thing about Miles, Johnny has seen so far, is that he’s a tough cookie. Although, his eyes say something else, his words are always certain and unwavering. 

“So, you know Peter?” Tony still seemed uncertain, who can blame him?

“Yeah, and I know who has him.” Straight to point. 

“How do I know your not lying to me?” Tony set his hundredth cup of coffee onto the table. They all sat there, just the three of them, Tony hadn’t wanted to overwhelm Miles with the rest of the Avengers. Miles had some pastries and his own cup of milk in front of him. It was to make him feel comfortable, yet he hadn’t touched anything. 

Miles made a face at Tony, “Why would I lie?”

And, now that sounded something a liar would say.

Johnny says, “A liar says that.”

Tony shook his head. 

And that’s when Miles finally looked at Johnny. 

“You’re the flamebrain!” 

Johnny stopped.

“You’re the one Peter always talks about. He was always talking about you, about how--”

“I think that’s something Peter should say.” Tony hisses. 

Miles blinks and looks back at Tony. “You know, Peter thought you would notice.”

Tony just stares at him. “Notice what exactly?”

“You know.” 

“No I don’t, it’s why we’re asking you what happened.”

“Wait, don’t tell me you didn’t know about - wait! No, you do know don’t ya.” Miles stared at Tony suspiciously. “You’re just asking me because you think I don’t know Peter personally.”

“Kid, you’re the one who said I didn’t notice anything about Peter. Now, don’t make it seem like I’m accusing you of something and go ahead and say whatever you were going to say.” Tony, overall, seemed over the whole ordeal.

“So… You didn’t know about Peter and his aunt?” The kid sounded unsure, both his hands moved as he spoke. 

“Yeah, we know that she’s dead.” 

Miles stopped his restless moving. “Dead?”

“Yeah, that’s what we figured with everything.”

“She isn’t dead.”

“What do you mean?” Tony shared a look with Johnny. “We just saw the documents of her sudden disappearance at work and how her bills haven’t been paid for months.”

“Exactly.” Miles nodded. “She’s not dead. Peter thought that, for a while, but his Aunt is actually hiding.”

“Hiding. Hiding from what?” Johnny finally spoke. This whole conversation was just confusing him and making him rethink his whole existence.

“She’s hiding from Spider-Man.” Miles huffs. “That’s why Peter was never home, y’know.” 

_The video was horrifying. _

_Jonny used to live in the bliss of people calling his name in joy, no cries of pain, cries of help._

_There was silence, sparing the video, throughout the room. _

_Johnny never thought the Avenger could keep quiet during these types of things, but, apparently hearing a sixteen year-old kid crying for help as they sat helpless would do it. Johnny knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep for the next hundreds of years. _

_There was no stop from the torture. There was yelling. Sounds of people becoming frustrated when, suddenly the screams stopped. The audio was off, a loud eerie noise filling Johnny’s ears after the endless screams. _

_There was something now on screen. A dark room. People standing and one lying on the ground with limbs thrown haphazardly._

_It was Peter._

_Peter lying on his back, his body ripped apart. The men were laughing, their bodies visibly shaking as they watched Peter twitch, watched as he whispered something to them. _

_Peter was crying._

_Peter looked at the camera._

_Johnny was scared. He wished he had never known him._

_Peter looked at the camera. _

_Johnny couldn’t look away. The Avengers weren’t there anymore._

_That’s when Peter screamed._

_…._

Johnny wakes up. 

He was crying. Of course he’d fucking would be. He just saw his friend be mauled up ruthlessly. He heard him scream his name and Mr. Stark’s. It was terrifying. It’s only natural to be worried. 

He just wished he never met Peter Parker. 

Johnny stops himself from standing.

He wishes he never met Spider-Man. He wishes he never met Peter Parker. 

He just wishes he could go back to a month ago. 

Johnny shakes his head. No, he doesn’t want to take his time with Peter for granted. He doesn’t wish he hadn’t met Peter Parker. He just wishes Peter wasn’t out there being tortured for - who the fuck knows why.

He needs to find him. They need to find him, if not for his sake then for Stark’s own. 

But, Johnny had told Sue he was going to take Franklin out to breakfast and now he can’t fucking help find his best friend. And now all he’ll do, instead of enjoying his time with Franklin, he’ll only be thinking about Peter and what Miles said about Peter. 

Honestly, with Miles at the Tower with Tony, Johnny thinks they finally might be able to make some headway. And then they’ll finally be closer, or actually find Peter. 

Johnny stood, with those thoughts in mind he felt better than he has for the past few weeks. Instead of hoping he had never met Spider-Man, Johnny wishes he met Peter before his vigilante self. He wishes life worked in the way of the hero instead of the villain. 

When Johnny got to the kitchen Sue was already there waiting for Johnny with Franklin. 

“I thought you were going to do some top secret business with Reed.” Johnny says.

“I was, until Reed said the whole meeting actually deals with his latest experiments and so on. He said I didn’t have to go, so I didn’t.” Sue sighed. “I’m kind of glad, y’know, I need a break from him sometimes.”

Johnny smiled. 

The day actually turned out to be fine. There was no reminders of what a shitty life his friend could be going through at the moment and there was also no time to think about what Miles had said the day before. Nothing was ruining his rare good mood. 

Franklin was being Franklin and did all the cute things a toddler did. After they ate Sue took them shopping saying something about having no fall clothes and whatnot. Johnny got some clothes, only for appearance sake since he does love shopping. He also got Franklin a cute monkey shirt and even one for himself just so that they could match.

“You know what?” Johnny said as they headed back to the Baxter Building. 

“What?” Sue was carrying Franklin now and Johnny now held all their bags. 

“I miss hanging out with you and everyone.” 

Sue doesn’t say anything for a while. “That reminds me, where have you been these past few months? You always seem to leave at around the same time and don’t come back for hours. But for the past few weeks it seems like you’re rarely home. Is there something wrong? And you better not be using your powers for something stupid again.”

“Don’t worry about me, Sue, why would I use my powers recklessly?” Johnny teased.

“I don’t know, Johnny, but you didn’t think that before. Excuse me, for worrying about you. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I know.”

“Well…” Sue prompts. “What’s got you leaving so much, wait, don’t tell me you actually went out to get a modeling job, Johnny! You know we’re not allowed to do that.”

“Would you let me talk?” Johnny laughs a little. Suddenly he misses Spider-Man again. “It’s just, I - well, I’ve been going out and studying.”

“What? You were studying?” Now Sue laughs at Johnny, Franklin laughs a little too. She stops when she sees Johnny’s face. 

“I was studying what you and Reed do.” Johnny is such a liar, but if it’s for the sake of Spider-Man he’d lie to everyone.

“Why?”

And that’s how the rest of Johnny’s day went. He never got away from Sue’s constant questioning and his own being thrown at her. He honestly had no clue what Reed does, or what even Sue does. He’s long since given up on the idea of even understanding any of the words they say. 

Johnny was tired, genuinely tired. Not in the way people get tired from overwork or lack of sleep, but the kind where Johnny knew he’d fall asleep in no time. 

Except, Johnny didn’t want to sleep.

Miles words pulled at him.

Peter Parker’s Aunt had abandoned him. She left her apartment one night and never came back. Peter only knew because of the lack of Aunt May’s items. There was nothing to remind Peter of who had onced lived there. Apparently there had been a note, but even Miles didn’t know what it had said. But, despite the fact that Peter's aunt left him for good, Peter tried to maintain the apartment, until it became too much. Peter was evicted and they never realized the lack of Aunt May in the apartment or making payments. 

Johnny had asked Miles when this had happened. Miles had said around the time Peter entered his freshman year of high school. 

That’s where things got confusing. 

Mr. Stark could’ve sworn May was still there when he and Happy would occasionally drop him off in front of the complex. There was no way Peter was walking into an empty apartment.

Miles had said that Peter was indeed walking into an empty apartment. 

Turns out Peter couldn’t keep up with any of the bills, apparently May hadn’t been paying rent for awhile, and when the end of the month came, Peter was evicted. 

It’s what scares Johnny. 

It scares Johnny knowing Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man now, was living with no secure shelter. 

Knowing this takes Johnny back to every encounter and rethinking everything about them. How did Peter keep himself standing when his food was limited? How did Peter still go to school without getting caught? Everything didn’t seem to add up. 

So, Johnny had asked Miles about Spider-Man. Miles had just shrugged and said “Yeah, Peter told me from the start.”

Tony was shocked, and Johnny was a little worried about how easily Peter told of his secret identity to some random kid. 

Johnny just hopes everything will all come together and start to make since. 

Johnny wasn’t meant to be a hero, but he could at least try and save his friend. 

\- 

_Johnny couldn’t sleep that night. _

_He was thinking about the vigilante with the Spider emblem on his chest again and his mind wouldn’t stop racing. _

_The best thing to do was to head out and get some air. _

_Johnny slid his window open, quietly. _

_He went around from rooftop to rooftop. There was nothing going on, nothing to distract his mind. This has never happened to him. He’s never thought of another guy so much. He never thought he would think about a guy with a tights like this. There was no way. _

_Just the other day Johnny had told Sue he wasn’t gay. Does liking a guy make you gay? Johnny hopes not, because he couldn’t be. He liked girls for crying out loud. Girls. Not boys._

_But, does liking one guy out of tens of girls make you gay?_

_Hopefully it was all just a fluke, no way can the Human Torch be gay. But, he can, can’t he?_

_Johnny stopped. _

_He can’t be using his powers to be doing anything aside from missions aside to the Fantastic Four, but he couldn’t help it. There was no way he could just sit in his room all day and do nothing. He’d seen some unnamed vigilante helping random citizens and now he just felt so useless in comparison._

_But, damn is Spider-Man hot._

_“Why am I like this…” Johnny whispered to himself. _

_“Hello?”_

_Johnny turned quickly._

_“Oh, it’s the Human Torch.” Spider-Man trotted over time where Johnny now sat._

_“I’m not the Human Torch.”_

_“Yeah you are, you can’t fool me.” Spider-Man sat and wagged a finger at Johnny’s face. “Can’t fool me, flame brain.”_

_Johnny couldn’t stop his reddening face. “Y-Yeah.” _

_“What’s wrong?” Spider-Man looks at him, well his mask is at least turned towards him. “Oh my god, don’t tell me…”_

_“What, tell you what?” _

_“You’re an imposter Johnny Storm, crap, I never thought I would meet an alien before.” _

_“Uhm, I am the Johnny Storm, and what is with all this alien shit you’re talking about?” Johnny shook his head. Why?_

_“Just, y’know, a thought.” Spider-Man sat back down and magically, it seemed, brought about two corn dogs. “Here you go.”_

_Johnny took it hesitantly. “Uhh.”_

_Spider-Man ignored him and started eating his own corn dog, lifting his mask just onto his nose to do so. “Mmm.’_

_Johnny’s face reddened again. _

_It took only seconds, but when Spider-Man finally finished he looked at Johnny and Johnny saw him smile. “Not hungry?”_

_“Yeah, no, I’m not hungry.” Johnny hands over the corn dog he was given. “It’s the middle of the night for crying out loud.”_

_Spider-Man took it. “The best time to eat if you ask me. Plus the guy I saved from a robbery gave me them for saving him, so it’s not my fault.”_

_Johnny thought that over. Spider-Man was saving people and the guy just randomly had food and gave it to him. Does Spider-Man not think about the dangers of eating food from strangers? And is a vigilante allowed to be so ignorant in some circumstances? _

_“So you just took the food without question?” _

_“Yeah. Food’s food.” Spider-Man had already finished, again, but he still hadn’t pulled his mask back down. _

_“What if one of the people who give you the food is a bad guy?”_

_“Pssh, nah. Those people could never be the ‘bad guy.’” Spider-Man laughed at the phrase. “I’ve got good intuition, so don’t worry about me Johnny-boy.”_

_They sat in silence for a moment. _

_Johnny hadn’t thought Spider-Man would be so cool. Actually, scratch that, he’d never heard of the guy before, but for someone with a bug name, the guy seemed pretty legit. _Spider-Man was so cool, but Johnny didn’t know.

_“Did you hear about this ‘Mysterio guy,’ Turns out he’s in New York now. Crazy I know, god, I still can’t believe I talk to the Human Torch. Anyway-”_

_“Wait, Mysterio, as in the creepy guy?”_

_“You think he’s creepy? I thought I was the only one!” _

_“Come on, isn’t it suspicious that he’s spotted somewhere and the next thing you know he’s saving the day?” Spider-Man nodded. “Thought so, because it seems like-”_

_“--Like if he became a superhero because of his bad luck?” Spider-Man ended._

_“No! Seems like--you know what? Nevermind.” Johnny crossed his arms. “Are you actually this dumb, or are you just acting like it?”_

_“I know what you’re saying,” Spider-Man suddenly whispers, “But, you gotta keep it on the down-low, don’t tell anyone else about what you think, okay?”_

_Johnny looked back at Spider-Man. “What?”_

_“You know, you’re a good friend.” Spider-Man stood. “Well, I gotta go. Hope I see you again, flamebrain.”_

_“Wait!” Johnny was up now too. “You can’t just say that and then leave. You’ve got to be careful out there and--”_

_Spider-Man tugged his mask back down and lifted a finger to his mouth, shh, “Worry about yourself, I’m Spider-Man, of course I’ll be okay.”_

_And then he was gone._

_When Johnny thinks back to those first few days with Spider-Man, he hadn’t thought his crush would be more than just crushing. He didn’t realize Spider-Man only said that because he was so good at lying. Johnny wishes he had said something sooner. Johnny wishes he hadn’t said a thing and kept his distance. Maybe then Spider-Man would still be with his friends and danger wasn’t so keen on getting him. _

_There’s so much Johnny can see now that he hadn’t. _

_-_

Johnny was back at the Tower. Stark was still obsessively searching and Miles sat near the both of them. 

Johnny turned to the kid. 

“How old are you, exactly?” 

Miles stopped his doodling and looked to Johnny. “I’m fourteen. You?”

It was said so easily. “Eighteen.” Johnny couldn’t help himself. “How did you meet Peter?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed the format a bit, so it can be more understandable. Please tell me if it's better or not. :P
> 
> Omg this took so long to update, sorry to everyone who's read this (how can you guys read through all the grammar mistakes) and not seen an update forever. 
> 
> I don't know how you guys read this, so thanks a lot, because even I can't read it sometimes. You guys are so nice. UwU.
> 
> :)


	4. Trying

Miles told them a lot. The kid probably told them too much. There were too many things that weren’t adding up to Peter’s disappearance. A major one was Peter’s Aunt.

One day she just stopped caring about Peter, Miles had said, it seemed as if she didn’t want to be near Peter anymore. For whatever reason May just didn’t seem comfortable around Peter anymore. She gradually stopped grabbing the groceries and leaving money for Peter’s lunch. 

For a while, Peter had thought money was just getting tight. No big deal. But one day, Peter found May crying. There was ripped pictures of the two of them and even with Peter’s uncle Ben.

Peter never saw her again after that day. 

Johnny had asked Miles how he knew about all this. Miles had answered simply, “We’ve been friends for a long time.”

May was gone, but for some reason, Peter said she had died. 

“I don’t know if he’s telling the truth… Sometimes he couldn’t even bring up her name without going quiet. So, I think he just felt like forgetting everything about her.” Miles spoke seriously this time around. Steve was there with Tony and Johnny.

“Wait, so Aunt May is still alive out there somewhere and Peter was abandoned? That’s why all this happened?” Steve sure liked to talk, Johnny will give him that.

“That’s not the thing, there were other people, but I never saw them around Peter, I only know that Peter was meeting up with someone, I don’t know who, and hiding it from everyone.” Miles shrugs. “How else did he go to school if Tony Stark wasn’t helping him?”

“So the people helping him—“

“No! They’re good, I think, but there had to be someone else ’cause these people weren’t at all discrete.”

“What do you mean?” Tony huffed, his face pinched, arms crossed, but there was a change in his face instead of the past month’s defeated look.

“They always left threats.” Miles slouched back in the chair. “I’m done.”

Miles had also told them about how he and Peter met. 

“I was with my dad, he’s dead now, but he was a cop. Peter had gotten some baddies and I followed him, and then I saw who he was under the mask.” Miles smiles. “Kind of disappointing that the new hero in town was a fifteen year old kid.”

Johnny left the tower feeling unaccomplished. It feels as though everything has come to a stand still. Nothing to go off of and nothing to help Peter get back faster. Overall, Johnny was doing a shit job at finding hours friend.

-

_There was one time where Johnny was falling asleep on a rooftop. _

_The day had been boring, like any other day, and he just wanted an out. He didn’t want to be home, could you really call it home? So, he went out that night to get as much fresh air someone could get in the city._

_There was light everywhere. Johnny remembers the stars and how visible they were in space. Down here, there was nothing. The light pollution creating a wimpy excuse of stars on the ground. There was nothing._

_His eyes were drooping. He had no self respect or anything, after all he is trying to sleep on a random roof in the city. _

_The city was loud but Johnny couldn’t hear it. He was inside his head and there was no way out. There was no way for him to stop thinking badly. There was rarely any good anymore in the world. Except there is because Johnny is lucky. _

_Johnny doesn’t have a rough life, he lives easily and with, what should be, no care in the world. There was no reason for him to be crying on a random rooftop because of his life. Nothing. _

_Johnny closed his eyes. _

_He was just sleepy. Hopefully, by tomorrow there is no self pity. The Human Torch doesn’t need _

_and shouldn’t have those thoughts anyway. _

_But he has been having those thoughts with no warning ever since the day he’s realized his lack of help and his sudden crush on Spider-Man. But, he knows it’s not Spider-Man’s fault. _

_At the time, Johnny remembers how tired he felt despite his lack of schedule. He remembers feeling dead like if there was something physically weighing him down, so down he felt as though he were already six feet under. _

_There was no reason for him to feel like this. _

_“Why…” Johnny was so sad. “Why?”_

_“Uhmm…” _

_Johnny stiffened and covered his face with his arms. _

_“Hello?”_

_No no no_

_Spider-Man sat beside him. _

_“Do you need me to get you someone or…” Spider-Man stopped talking as Johnny sat up. _

_Johnny rubbed his eyes and sniffed as much of the mucus as he could back up. He used his sleeves to wipe his eyes and nose. _

_“No. I’m fine.” Johnny wasn’t but he straightened his back and crossed his arms anyway. _

_“Doesn’t look like it to me, man.” Way too blunt. It took a piece of Johnny’s facade down a notch. “But, I’ll be here sitting next to you.”_

_“I said I’m fine.” Johnny huffed. “I don’t need you to pity me.”_

_Spider-Man’s mask just stared at him. Was it a mask?_

_“I don’t pity you, Johnny, I just want to be your friend y’know. Hero to hero. “ Spider-Man nudged Johnny’s shoulder. “Also, it’s okay not to be not okay.”_

_Johnny’s face has heated up. “Thanks.” _

_“But I’ll help you feel better because,” Spider-Man held two small buckets of ice cream, “ I’ve got ice cream.”_

_It was nice. _

_Spider-Man’s a good friend. Johnny was realizing friends meant _friends. _Not what he used to have with some random kids at school. Nope, a friend was someone like Spider-Man. _

_Johnny can’t remember what made that night better for him. The ice cream or talking to Spider-Man? But, the next day he would admit to himself that liking Spider-Man shouldn’t change anything. _

_-_

Even now Johnny still doesn’t feel great about liking a literal kid. It still feels wrong knowing Peter’s under eighteen. How could he go for someone so young. Johnny has never wanted to be a creep but the world seems to hate Peter and of course it had to be Johnny liking a kid. How wrong was that ? 

-

_Johnny and Spider-Man first held hands that next day. It was weird. Definitely awkward but it was oddly calming. _

_There was Johnny on the Baxter building, waiting. Spider-Man had said he’d check on him the next day but he never said where. Maybe it went unsaid to go to the same building he was just the night before, but Johnny couldn’t bring himself to. _

_Even though Spider-Man did help him feel better the night before his mind didn’t think it was enough. Johnny knows he shouldn’t rely on some vigilante to cure his mental state, but he sure hopes Spider-Man can help him realize why he is this way, even without saying it explicitly. _

_It was selfish of him. He knows it’s just the part of him that is greedy for human interaction that comes from anyone but his family. But that’s normal… right?_

_Johnny shakes his head. _

_It doesn’t matter. He’ll get to talk to Spider-Man and have some sort of real social interaction. God, he sounds like such a loner. _

_Johnny’s eyes catch something _

_And there was the beast. _

_“Hey there Spider-dude.” Johnny was trying to go for casually, but sometimes trying too hard just makes him internally revolt. “Whatcha doin’?”_

_“Hanging with you.” He plopped right next to Johnny, a bit too close. “MaAn, it was a rough night.” Spider-Man yawned. “But, food before sleep.” And then there was suddenly a large pizza coming from somewhere, Johnny never know where Spider-Man gets his shit, but he was always impressed. _

_“Why’d you come here?” Johnny said, “I mean since you’re tired and everything…” Johnny’s face was red, it was definitely red. He sounded so rude even though Spider-Man took time out of his night to come and see him. _

_“Just cause,” Spider-Man shrugged as he chewed already on his second - or was it third? - slice of pizza. “I wanted to share pizza with someone.” He opened the box and Johnny took one. _

_“Everytime I see you, you’re eating something.” _

_“Fast metabolism.” Spider-Man said plainly. “Kind of have to eat like a hundred times a day or I’ll just die.”_

_“What…?” Johnny stopped eating._

_“I’m kidding.” Spider-Man smiled. _

_Wow._

_“Just comes with being bitten by a radioactive spider.” _

_“No.”_

_“What?”_

_“No way were you bitten by a spider and turned into a man spider.” _

_“Haha, that is my name, Spider-Man.” Spider-Man stopped, “Weren’t you normal before too?”_

_“Yeah, but--”_

_“No, not listening, both situations are the same and you can’t tell me otherwise.” _

_“It is so not the same because I wasn’t bitten by a spider.” Johnny couldn’t believe how easy it was to talk to someone outside of his family. How did Spider-Man speak so easily to other people without making anything weird? How was he so cool for such a newbie of a hero?_

_“Yeah, but…” Spider-Man reached for another slice. “And now there’s no more pizza.”_

_They talked some more and then Spider-Man moved closer and Johnny didn’t do anything, because he was finally realizing Spider-Man is just like that, a touchy-feely person. He expressed himself easily and there might not even more to it than that. And Johnny was fine with that, He was fine with the fact that Spider-Man might be just another one of the boys he likes from afar but never more than that. That was fine with him because having a friend was fine with Johnny. _

_Spider-Man was humming some song and Johnny just sat looking at the lights and stray people walking around. That’s when Spider-Man slipped his hand in his and Johnny couldn’t say anything. Even if he knew to say something he knows the moment would be ruined. There were just moments where you shouldn’t say anything and Johnny knew that the first time they held hands was one of them._

_There was nothing to say as Spider-Man laid his head on his shoulder. It was all fine. _

_-_

Johnny didn’t know Spider-Man was Peter Parker just a high school kid. Johnny was one not too long ago, but he had dropped out and decided to say fuck you to all the students and went out with a bang that would have gotten him expelled if he hadn’t already done all the papers and shit. 

There was so much wrong about liking Peter Parker. 

One: He was literally Spider-Man. That was a major red flag that Johnny never listened to. The only reason why knowing or even liking Spider-man was because liking Spider-Man or even just associating with Spider-Man just makes Spider-Man’s job so much harder. Spider-Man had to deal with threats made towards his Aunt or even just his friends. Tony Stark was never messed around with, but it was the opposite for Tony, like right now. Right now they could be keeping Peter just for the sake of demeaning him. 

Johnny knows they want Tony to get out of character, it’s what they do. 

Miles told him about something similar being done to his dad when he was still alive. How his dad and him would just be walking around and there would be an extremist going off on his dad, but his dad was calm even when words were thrown at Miles too. It’s just how some people were so fucked up they refused to listen to reason. Johnny knows how it feels to think highly of oneself but he couldn’t anymore, he realized--at some point, that everybody’s life was so much more than to judge others for anything. 

But still there was still wrong in the world. There was so much wrong and Johnny doesn’t know how his life truly became this way. Actually, he does, but he doesn’t even want to think about it. He doesn’t want to fully acknowledge the fact that Peter Parker may never come back home.

Johnny can’t remember how his life was before becoming friends with Spider-Man, how he went on with his daily life and had no one to talk to. Well, he did, just not someone like Peter Parker.

Tony had told him that Spider-Man was just as the same as Peter Parker, the sixteen year old behind the mask. Johnny had though Tony was lying to him, trying to make him feel better about not knowing of Spider-Man’s true identity, but there was this time Johnny caught Tony Stark watching videos in his lab. He wasn’t searching aimlessly for Peter Parker, but instead he sat with his shoulders down and head low looking towards the monitor listlessly. 

That’s when Johnny realized what he was watching. 

It was Peter Parker on the screen. Tony was with him in the video and so was May Parker. They were talking easily and Peter talked awkwardly and quickly about some project he was working on. May was smiling at him with such an intense expression Johnny was sure there was no way she would abandon Peter. Then there was Tony Stark with his small smile, something that hasn’t been seen since the beginning of this whole mess.

Tony had then said, outside of the video, “Change it.”

The video went to one with Peter, and Tony. 

_Peter was just walking into the tower when Tony stopped him. _

_“Hey, Mister Stark--”_

“_Hang on a second, Peter.” Tony said a frown on his face. “Someone’s here and--”_

“_Tony is something the matter_?” A voice called from outside the frame. 

_Tony cursed and told Peter to stay where he was. And, of course, Peter didn’t listen and followed Tony towards the living area where Captain America was just standing up._

_“Wha-”_

_“Who’s the kid, Tony?” Captain stepped closer to the two and held out a hand towards Peter._

_Peter took the hand and shook it, a smile spreading across his face. “Oh my god.”_

_Captain just stared at him. “What?”_

_Then there was Tony who stood on the side, clearly not liking the whole interaction._

_“He’s an intern.” Tony said lowly._

_“You take interns now?” He smiled. “When did you start doing that?”_

_“None of your business.”_

There was clearly some tension between the two, but as the two spoke Johnny saw how Peter wouldn’t stop looking at the hand that had just shook Captain America’s hand. He kept whispering to himself of how unbelievable he got to shake the Captain America’s hand. It was obvious Tony only had this moment recorded for the awestruck on Peter’s face. Maybe there was a time when Peter did the same with Tony, just like when Johnny and Spider-Man first met. It’s when he realized Tony Stark was not in fact lying about Peter and Spider-Man being the same just one in a Spider costume and the other with regular-old clothes. 

It’s when Johnny realised that he already had met Peter Parker that time Spider-Man knocked the Vulture out. 

And now Johnny is starting to realise that there’s no difference between the two. So why should he have to be so conflicted with liking boys too?

Maybe it’s not the same thing, but the ideas are the same. Peter is Spider-Man and Spider-man is Peter. Being straight is just as good as being gay. And being gay is just as good as being straight. Johnny doesn’t see a difference, not right now, at least. But, these thoughts are what helps Johnny move, even just slightly, forward. Peter Parker is missing and he can’t just wallow in his own misery and confusion. He had to help Peter and pushing himself away from others just won’t do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I don't know if people are still reading this or waiting for an update, but sorry for the three months with no update. I'm back at college, :(, and my phone's charging port broke so sorry if anyone left a comment the past week, usually I check my email on my phone and well my phone has been dead for a while now. And because I don't have a phone distraction I finished writing this chapter. - ‿ -
> 
> Anyway..💪 ( ͡❛ ‿ ͡❛) 👊  
... Thank you for reading!!


	5. Confused

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny shenanigans.

The public was going crazy.. 

Of fucking course they would find out Spider-Man has been gone for a month. No one has seen the guy swinging around with his, with what Johnny now knows--is where Peter could be himself fully. People are talking about Spider-Man like if they miss the guy. Like if they miss him the way someone would miss their friends, but they didn’t know anything about Peter.

They don’t know behind Spider-Man is a missing child, whom the media won’t talk about, only in passing. They talk about Spider-Man frequently and easily, their hopes and condolences for Spider-Man to get better or for him to come back. Johnny knows some people might genuinely miss Spider-Man, but sometimes--Johnny now knows--people need to let the heroes, vigilantes, or whatever they want to call them, have a break. 

Even if Spider-Man were back he wouldn’t be immediately out there saving people’s asses. People only assume it’s for selfish reasons, but really they’re the ones being greedy. The time Spider-Man was revealed at the Avengers fight and the public and the leeches all went after him. That time they weren’t thinking about Spider-Man, or even the person beneath the mask, all they thought about was the next headline for their story and views on a video. They got the kid hurt and then everyone cared it was just an endless cycle of crazy fanatics and paparazzi setting a burden on someone. 

It happens to a lot of people. 

“Damn it.” Tony Stark was walking in circles in the Tower’s living area. “I thought I told them Spider-Man was taking a break.” 

Tony Stark was on the phone and Johnny sat waiting patiently. Tony Stark had indeed already dealt with the public on the Spider-Man rumors a month ago, a week after Peter disappeared he had Pepper and her team helping placate the public. The excuse of Spider-Man’s absence then is the same now, because he’s taking a break. 

There was a pause as the person on the other side of the phone spoke. 

“You’re saying they think Spider-Man quit?” Tony huffed. A pause. “No. Don’t tell them he quit, the kid’ll be so mad when he comes back.”

And it went on and on. 

But, Johnny thought, it was a good thing Tony was actually doing something. The whole ordeal over Spider-Man aside, Tony is actually talking easily and taking order. He isn’t doubting himself like he would the first week or two Spider-Man went missing. 

It was probably because they were actually making good headway. They found some of Peter’s papers which Miles had. The papers were what appeared almost nondescript, but looking closely Tony could see the little clues Peter had left in his words and writings. 

Tony had spent only a few hours looking at the papers to realize the pattern. 

Johnny couldn’t even read the gibberish Peter had written. Miles said Peter had tried teaching him how to read his handwriting, but Miles had blown it all off, saying why would he have to know how to read his writing if he was always there? Miles had shook his head—how old was this kid again? and left the room. 

Johnny knee from the moment Tony figures out Peter’s secret code that the two of them were actually close. There were a lot of moments Johnny doubted the man even having been close to Peter because of the large amount of shit Spider-Man has gone through because of the man not being there for him. But, Johnny now knows that Tony Stark has, in fact, been there for Peter for a long time. 

Peter was the one to withhold important information. Like living on the streets and the death/disappearance of his aunt--whatever the hell it was. And so many other things. 

It’s how Spider-Man didn’t tell him his identity. Except Johnny couldn’t blame Peter. He was going through so much and Johnny knows that if he were in his place he wouldn’t know what to do or who to tell. 

“Son of a—“ Tony stops himself. “ Johnny, you need to go pick up some kids from school. How does that sound?” 

His tone left no room for Johnny to say no and how could he? That man is the Tony Stark. 

“Okay…” Johnny stood, “ Who do you want me to get and why?”

“You’re picking up Peter’s little friends, Ned and Mj, because Peter left something for the two of them… and--”

“Yeah, I get it.” Johnny sighed

-

_Johnny saw Spider-Man the next day. It wasn’t where they were supposed to meet but instead Spider-Man was being flung around by a man with a fishbowl. There were clouds everywhere and people were running fast away from the scene. Johnny was just about to, as well, until he saw who was dealing with the guy._

_Johnny honestly felt like a coward as he saw Spider-Man being slammed down by some rock creature and stands up again. _

_Johnny couldn’t move. _

_How could he move? The government is what decided when the Fantastic Four is allowed to fight and when they’re not to. How could he move when he hasn’t been in a fight in months? Does he even know how his powers truly work anymore? More than likely, no. _

_But he couldn’t stand it. Johnny couldn’t stand watching as Spider-Man kept trying and kept falling. Spider-Man was getting nowhere despite being one of the strongest heroes Johnny’s seen, the guy was failing drastically. Johnny had to do something. _

_So he ran forward. Saw as Spider-Man finally tangled the rock-creature in his webs and was just about to knock the fish-bowl man down when another one appeared. From where? Johnny’s eyes didn’t even notice the thing until it was on Spider-Man and crushing him into the ground._

_That’s when the Avengers finally decide to join in. _

_Johnny was already running towards Spider-Man. His heart beating so fast he didn’t even know how it hadn’t escaped him yet. There was so much wrong with this. Spider-Man could be dead and they only just started talking-talking. _

_“Spider-Man!” Johnny was yelling. Spider-Man wasn’t moving. His head and torso were visible. His arms twitched as if he were trying to move. Just how much can this guy take?_

_“Spider-Man…” Johnny dropped down to his knees, his arms raised uselessly, not knowing if he even should move or touch Spider-Man. _

_“Johnny..?” Spider-Man tried to twist his head from where it faced the ground, but he only got so far. “Johnny…”_

_The Avengers were running around everywhere. There were fights within the fight and it seemed there was finally some leeway when something quivered. There was static and the rocks were becoming almost metallic. _

_“Johnny?” Spider-Man sighed._

_Johnny looked at Spider-Man, touching his one loose hand gently. “I’m gonna get you help, you know the Avengers, right?”_

_“Tony?” _

_“Yeah, yeah,” Johnny’s voice cracked. This is why he wasn’t a real superhero. “I’ll be back.” _

_Johnny didn’t have to go far to find an Avenger because the Bird-man was there running towards Johnny. _

_“Help!” Johnny grabbed the man’s arms and started to drag him towards Spider-Man. “You--”_

_“Wait! Hold up, what is a Fantastic doing here?” He started to turn around, clearly ready to take Johnny back to where medics were finally arriving. “You need to get out of here.”_

_“No, no.” Johnny pulled the man back. “Spider-Man is back there!”_

_“What? Did you just say Spider-Man?” _

_Johnny had already turned around when the bird-guy had asked the question. “Hurry.”_

_“What the hell is Spider-Man doing here? That guy just doesn’t know when to--” That’s when he finally sees the state Spider-man is in. “Oh no.”_

_The bird-man just stared for a while with his eyes wide. _

_The rock was not a rock anymore but instead, what looked like hundreds of small, yet, hefty looking drones on top of Spider-Man. Spider-Man was more free now than when Johnny left him, but the guy looked way too still for them to be standing there doing nothing. _

_“Come on, do something!” Johnny pulled the man’s arm. Johnny didn’t think it was possible before to get Spider-Man out from beneath the rock, but now the drones were smaller and there was a chance to save him. _

_Johnny moved forward before the man did. _

_There was a whispered, “Tony,” and rushed words only to be cut off for the man to run forward, helping Johnny move the drones. There were only a few on Peter now. Maybe he had moved in the time Johnny had gone to get help. _

_“Don’t move him.” _

_Johnny sat still next to Spider-Man, feeling inadequate. There was nothing more he could do. _

_“I think you should go.” _

_Johnny looked at him. His eyes searching. “Okay…”_

_Johnny had to leave he knows because the Avengers don’t like the Fantastics and vice versa. There was no helping it especially because Spider-Man is a part of the Avengers. _

_“I’m sorry kid.” His name… falcon? Said. “It’s not your fault, but Iron Man is about to come over here and I’m not sure how he would react if he saw you.”_

_Johnny was already standing. “It’s fine, I just want Spidey to be okay.” _

_“He will be. The ki--man is as strong as they come around here. Don’t worry about it.” Falcon spoke gently, his tone even as his eyes shined. “Thank you for helping him.”_

_Johnny didn’t like that he had to walk away. Didn’t like how he heard yells and people crying around him, but what could he do? He was never allowed to do anything unless told to. He couldn’t suddenly go stray and grab a mask to hide himself. There were only so many people whose bodies became a fire. _

_There was no point sitting by with Spider-Man either. They had it under control. The guy was always getting, this time was no different. The only difference was that Johnny had watched as it happened. He had watched uselessly. What was the point in feeling if he could do nothing about Spider-Man being brutally attacked. _

_“Johnny, where have you been?” It was Sue. Johnny had just answered his phone and Sue immediately had the bright idea to yell at him. “You need to tell us where you’re going. At least text us, Johnny.”_

_Johnny continued walking. No way was he taking any form of public transit. _

_“Johnny?” _

_“What?”_

_“Where are you?”_

_Not helping, Johnny thought. _

_“I’m…” Johnny took his time answering. There was so many things around him and Johnny knew so much of the place. He was almost to the Baxter Building, but suddenly he felt so tired. “I’m almost there.”_

_“Okay.” Sue paused. “Are you okay? You better not be hurt again.”_

_“I’m fine.” _

_Johnny had his time to feel bad for himself. He had left Spider-Man with the Falcon and now he was on his way back home. There was no way for him to turn back around and shield Spider-Man from the world. Wasn’t Spider-Man just a newbie in the hero thing? So then why was he taking on the big guys? Why weren’t the Avengers there already if Spider-Man was? There was so much wrong in the way things had gone down that day and Johnny had just watched it all. This is one of those moments Johnny knows he’ll regret forever. _

_“Fuck you Sue.” _

_It was on the news. Spider-Man wasn’t shown as how he was in the fight, instead there was a picture of him standing on the edge of a building. A sly picture taken by an onlooker. The woman on TV talked and talked about how they were still trying to get the details about Spider-Man, but all Johnny could see was that picture. The picture of Spider-Man with his hands on his hips, evidently triumphant about something previous. It seemed so innocent, yet so empowering. The picture was probably taken after a successful attempt of saving the civilians of Queens, where he mostly does his heroly duties. _

_It made Johnny hate the media even more. For tainting the picture and Spider-Man’s name. For listing the long list of public property damaged because of the endless villains. How they laughed when they said the man should be reigned in and taken to the police. _

_They were making a joke, they didn’t mean to do harm. _

_-_

Johnny hated driving by himself, walking by himself, generally doing anything which required him to be alone. Where his thoughts and memories all seem to coincide and make sense. Maybe the people on the news didn’t directly mean for their words to have an impact on people. They joked about Spider-Man being locked up and maybe, just maybe, that might have caused some people to actually think of that possibility.

Johnny shook his head. Not now. He had to be more presentable, act more in control, he was older than these kids and they shouldn’t have to see someone clearly stressed about the situation. That would only freak them out and it would honestly scare Johnny too. 

As soon as he got to the school the two kids were already there. Johnny only knew it was them because Tony had shown him some pictures of them with Peter.

“Are you Johnny?” The girl, Mj asked, her face was indifferent. Tony had told him about her and said not to worry that’s just how she is. He said even Peter had a hard time telling when she was joking and when she wasn’t.

“Yeah…” Johnny scratched his neck and led them towards his car. “Tony already told you?”

“Yep.” 

They got in the car and it was definitely one of the worst feelings ever. There was nothing really to talk about and the car just felt strangely tense like if the two of them were being taken to be killed not to see a message Peter had left for them.

“Uhhhm.” Ned started but stopped.

Johnny could only sigh. “You can talk, I’m not gonna get mad or anything.”

“Are you the Human Torch?” Ned blurted.

And that was not what Johnny was expecting. “Yeah, why?”

“Man, when Peter told me he met _the_ Human Torch, I couldn’t believe it, y’know.”

“No.”

“Haha… Peter did say you were a sweet guy.”

“That’s not what he told me.” Mj said.

“Mj.” Ned hissed. “Don’t say anything about it.” 

“What? If you don’t say it then I will.”

“No.”

Johnny rolled his eyes and kept his eyes on the road. There was only so much he could take. They were nice enough, but Johnny still was trying to wrap around his head how Peter had managed to fool everyone. Even his own friends, who seem to have known him well enough, didn’t know about Peter living on the streets. Miles never met Mj and Ned. Johnny himself never met Tony Stark until a few weeks ago and only recently has he met Peter’s friends. It seemed Peter was trying to separate the people he knew into groups. He pushed them aside when he was with another. 

Johnny was sure that he would never have met any of these people until Peter had the courage to tell him who he was under the mask. It was fine, except it wasn’t. Peter didn’t deserve it. 

Johnny could never seem to keep his head up. For some reason Peter kept on grabbing onto his mind and reminding him of how he hasn’t been saved yet. There were so many times a day Johnny had to recuperate. 

Like now. 

Peter was going to be saved, Johnny was sure of it. 

“Well…” Ned brought Johnny back to the present. “ Johnny? Did Peter ever tell you, that y’know, he was a kid?”

Johnny wanted to sigh again. “No he didn’t, why?”

“Well… nothing. But, y’know, Peter really did like you. I could tell the few times I saw him.” Ned took a breath as though bracing himself. “He--I could tell he was feeling better, I didn’t know about what then, but he was feeling better when he said he met the Human Torch. So, thanks man for being there for him and still being there for him.”

“I--” What was he supposed to say to that?

“We all failed Peter, Johnny, but I think you helped him realize what was actually going on.”

“Wha--”

Mj spoke up. “Ned and I think Peter left out of his own will. “

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might have been a confusing chapter, I get that, because I was confused trying to remember and search through my notes on this work. lmao, sorry, I try to keep it all sensible-ish. 
> 
> Anyway, sorry for the wait. It's been a month 😳. 
> 
> I already started the next chapter anyway. Hopefully that one's updated faster. btw, I'm a student and man do I have so much to do. Not an excuse I'm just trying to say I procrastinated. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, you guys are the best for liking this shitty writing. 
> 
> :)

**Author's Note:**

> Idk what I'm writing. 
> 
> Thanks for reading. :)
> 
> (Edit) idk how to ao3 besides bookmarking lmao, this is gonna have more chapters


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